Leaf spring knob retainer



Jan. 9, 1962 F. J. RUSSELL 3,01 I

LEAF SPRING KNOB RETAINER Filed Dec. 13, 1960 25 lo i jgl 1 f g 25 la 4728 l4 IG :7 I8 35 I5) 50 i INVENTOR, [27250 J: RussELz BY 3% g 1WATTORNEYS United States Patent U 3,016,255 LEAF SPRING KNOB RETAINERFred L'Russell, 3800 Don Felipe Drive,

Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Dec. 13, 1960, Ser. No. 75,535 3 Claims. (Cl.292-352) The invention relates to door locks but rather to that portionof a door lock which is concerned with the fastening of a knob on thelock actuating spindle.

When a door lock is to be mounted upon a door, it is regularly in apartially sub-assembled condition. In a passage set for an interiordoor, frequently both knobs are removed, although in an entrance set forreasons of security, one knob may be in position and only the secondknob removed.

The most common expedient heretofore employed for fastening the knob toa tubular spindle has been a springpressed keeper which is forcedoutwardly through coinciding holes in the spindle and in a shank portionof the knob. Springs for spring keeper actuation of this kind havecontinued to present a problem because of the rather limited spaceallowed for them, making employment of rather small springs a necessity.In some instances a longitudinal leaf spring has been tried customarilylocated inside of the spindle with some degree of acceptance. On otheroccasions very small coiled springs have been resorted to in order tohave them small enough to be mounted inside of the spindle between thekeeper and the inner wall. Springs of the kind mentioned have beendifficult to assemble. Moreover, because of the fact that they have hadto be kept of rather small dimensions, building springs having a properdegree of strength and resiliency as well as offering the desired longlife characteristics has presented more of a problem than the industryhas been able to satisfactorily solve.

It'is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new andimproved keeper means for attaching an operating assembly such as a knobto a tubular spindle which is simply constructed, thereby making it easyto install without any sacrifice of security and durability.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved keeperdevice for holding an operating assembly upon a tubular spindle whichcan be applied to the exterior of the spindle without need for enlargingany of the conventional portions of the lock and which by reason ofapplication to the exterior greatly facilitates installation andremoval, as well as improving the ease with which the operating assemblycan he slid into place. that is to say, by manipulation of the operatingassembly alone without specially depressing the keeper by hand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedkeeper device for holding an operating assembly upon a tubular spindlewhich, because of being built to relatively large dimension, minimizestension to a degree such that the building of the spring is no longercritical and accordingly provides a rather 's-imple, inexpensive springwhich can be counted upon to retain its operating efficiency forespecially long periods without deterioration, hardening or breaking.

Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a new andimproved leaf type spring for holding a keeper pin in operating positionin a tubular spindle, the arrangement being such that the pin can beeasily dropped into position and the spring attached thereto at alocation and in a fashion such that the spring serves not only to holdthe keeper in a position securing the knobto the spindle but also may bedepended upon to assist in bolding the spindle itself in properoperating relationship with the remaining portions of the device.

With these and other objects in view, the invention 3,016,255 PatentedJan. 9, 1962 consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter set forth, point,- ed out in the appendedclaims and illustrated in accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: k

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one side of a lock setshowing the operating assembly in attached" position upon a tubularspindle.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal view partially broken away andwith the knob removed showing the relationship of the keeper elements.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1. 7

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE view taken -on--the line 4 but showing the action of the spring when the keeper pin isdepressed.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view partially broken away taken from aposition degrees removed'from the position of FIGURE 1. v

In the embodiment of the invention selected for purposes ofillustration, there is shown one side of a latch some appropriateplastic medium separating the tubular spindle 16 from an interiorsurface 18 of the bushing 15. At the inner end of the tubular spindle isa flange 19,a

portion of which may serve as a roll-back for manipulat-,-

ing a latch bolt (not shown) in the conventional fashion; The flangealso serves to anchor the inner end of the spindle against beingwithdrawn longitudinally from the frame 13. i

On the exterior of the bushing are threads 20 adapted to be'engaged by athreaded portion 21 of a decorative sleeve 22, the sleeve beingengageable with a rosette 23 which is forced into position against thedoor when the. latch operating assembly is mounted upon it. Anouterportion of the sleeve 22 is spaced from the bushing leaving an annularspace 24 therebetween. a

'An operating assembly, here, shown in the form of a knob 25, has a neck26 of such shape and size as to. be. slidably and rotatably mounted upona smooth outer end 27 of the bushing 15, while atthe same time beinglong enough to extend into the annular space 24 beneath the,

decorative sleeve 22. A footing 28 may, if preferred, be

provided at the outer end of the knob in a position receptive of anouter end of the tubular spindle 16.

To .hold the knob non-rotatably attached to the tubuit .lar spindle,there is provided a keeper or keeper pin indicated generally by thereference character 30.. ;This is a flat element having a retaining end31 and a pressure end 32. On one side of the tubular spindleis. anopening 33 having a width and breadth suiiicient to slidably receive theretaining end .31 of the keeper. On the wall of the tubular spindlediametrically opposite the opening 33 is a larger opening 35 having alength and breadth sufiicient to freely and slidably receive thepressure. end 32 of the keeper 30. From this relationship of sizes itwill be noted that the keeper 30 can be dropped into positiontransversely mounted within the tubular spindle by inserting the keeper,small end first, through the opening 35 and then into the opening 33.Shoulders 36, which in the chosen embodiment are 10- the I cated betweenthe retaining end 31 and the pressure end 32 of the keeper, serve asstops to limit motion of the keeper inwardly when they engage an innerwall 3'7 of the tubular spindle. A hole 38 through the keeper may beprovided on those occasions where an inner locking spindle might need tobe extended through the tubular spindle.

To hold the keeper 30 in position within the spindle and to provide theresilient retention needed for its operation, there is an arcuate leafspring 40' having opposite ends 41 and 42 extending more than half-wayaround the exterior of the tubular spindle, the ends having tips 43outwardly turned to improve the ease of installation. There is, however,ample space between the tips sufiicient to adequately clear the sideedges of the retaining end 31 of the keeper. At the outermost edge ofthe pressure end of the keeper is a boss 44 which fits in an aperture 45in the spring 40. This serves a multiple purpose in that it secures thespring and keeper in proper relationship and also anchors the springagainst longitudinal movement along the exterior of the tubular spindle.As shown particularly in FIGURES and 2, the spring 40 abuts an end edge46 of the bushing 15 when assembled and since the spring is preventedfrom shifting endwise by its engagement with the keeper 30, the springserves as a means for temporarily locking the spindle in the bushing.

In the neck 26 is an opening 47 which coincides with and is in radialalignment with the opening 33 in the tubular spindle. When the keeper isin the position shown in FIGURES l and 4, it extends simultaneouslythrough the openings 33 and 47, thereby to fasten the neck 26 of theknob and the knob 25 upon the spindle so that it cannot be moved eitherrotationally or longitudinally with respect thereto. In this positionthe spindle and knob act as a unit so that manipulation of the knob canbe passed to the roll-backs for manipulating the latch bolt (not shown).

When the knob is to be removed, the retaining end 31 may be depressed byemployment of some convenient tool such as a screwdriver end 39 farenough so that it clears the interior surface of the neck. W'hendepressed the spring 40 takes the position shown in FIG- URE to which itis forced by action of the keeper. This is sufiicient to permit the'knob to be withdrawn, after which the spring will extend the keeperoutwardly to the position of FIGURES 2 and 3.

When the knob is to be reapplied, it is not necessary to "manuallydepress the keeper inasmuch as the neck of the knob can besimultaneously titled over the spring keeper and over the outer end 27of the bushing on the side opposite from the exposed end of the springkeeper and the keeper manipulated sufficiently by the neck of the knobto depress it until the neck is slid into the position of FIGURES 1 and4, after which the spring 40 previously distended by depression of thekeeper will force the retaining end 31 of the keeper through theappropriate openings 33 and 47 to the retained position initially shownand described.

As is clear from the description, the employment of a leaf spring'ofrelatively great length and width on the exterior of the tubular spindlemakes it possible to easily slip the arcuate spring into position.Because the length of the-spring is so great,'extending as it doesaround a relatively large proportion of the outside circumference of-thespindle, there is never exerted excessive strain upon the spring duringits operation or during its assembly. Once in position, the spring workssmoothly and evenly and in the dependable fashion which makes therelationship a particularly advantageous one.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 'as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

1. A look sub-assembly comprising a spindle having a keeper opening, akeeper positioned transversely within said spindle having a retainingend adapted to extend outwardly through said keeper opening and having apressure end extending outwardly through said spindle.

on a side opposite said keeper opening, an arcuate leaf spring inengagement with said pressure end of the keeper, legs of said springextending more than half-way around the outside of said spindle wherebyto hold said spring on the spindle and to urge said keeper outwardlyinto position.

2. A lock sub-assembly comprising a spindle, an operating memberincluding a neck surrounding said spindle, said neck having a keeperopening, said spindle having a keeper opening adapted to coincide withsaid first identified opening and having a keeper assembly opening inalignment therewith, a keeper positioned transversely within saidspindle having a retaining end adapted to extend outwardly through saidkeeper openings thereby to releasably hold the neck in position relativeto the spindle and having a pressure end extending outwardly into saidkeeper assembly opening, an arcuate leaf spring in engagement with saidpressure end of the keeper, legs of said spring extending more than halfWay around the outside of said spindle whereby to hold. said spring onthe spindle and to urge said keeper into-a position of engagementjointlywith the neck and the spindle.

3. A lock sub-assembly comprising a frame having a bearing bushingextending outwardly therefrom, a spindle rotatably mounted in saidbushing, an operating member including a neck surrounding said spindle,said neck having a keeper opening at a location outside said bushing,said spindle having a keeper opening adapted to coincide with said firstidentified opening and having a keeper assembly opening in alignmenttherewith, a keeper positioned transversely within said spindle having aretaining end adapted to extend outwardly through said keeper openingsthereby to releasably hold the neck in position relative to the spindleand having a pressure end extending outwardly through said keeperassembly opening, an arcuate leaf spring having an opening therein inengagement 'with said pressure end of the keeper, legs of said springextending more than half way around-the outside of said spindle wherebyto hold said spring on the spindle and to urge said keeper into aposition of engagement jointly with the neck and the spindle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

